Our idea is centered around the belief that each individual has a responsibility and the ability to enact change through small, personal acts and choices. Those individual acts, accumulated, have widespread impact. Providing information and metaphorical representation, we hope to engage not just the minds, but the heart of the community in the protection of our waterways, through smarter consumption and sustainable development and tourism.
Starting with a series of shoreline clean-ups led by Holly and the Clean-up Norfolk group, participants had the opportunity to directly experience the level of garbage and waste accumulating along the shores of Lake Erie. It is from these clean-ups that Suzanne pulled specific post-consumer, single use plastic waste and items to be used to construct the sculpture. Each participant was then invited to create a ‘scale’ using this found waste.
“The coming together of these two minds, created a space where the process of public art-making organically combined direct action with creative expression. The layers of participation, along with the final artwork, are a pure aesthetic expression of our activated value system.”
– Christopher McLeod
Suzanne Earls is a professional artist, regularly involved in Community Engagement Projects for schools, hospitals, and community organizations. Keen to collaborate and consult with the community about design, she enjoys the fluidity of working with a large group and varied abilities. With mosaics as her primary medium, she has completed 3 large murals in 2 years, that involved over 750 people.
Holly Anderson is an artist and activist with strong skills in community activation. Her background in social services, business, and a B.A. in Fine Art from McMaster, as well as a deep, lifelong reverence for nature, Holly is driven to bring a culture of hope to her community through multi-disciplinary work. As the founder of, Cleaning Up Norfolk, she has facilitated multiple beach and trail clean ups in addition to her efforts to educate and inform through social media, consulting, and advocacy.